1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a white balance adjusting device provided in a still-video camera having an electronic flash.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, in a recording operation of a still-video camera a white balance adjustment is performed so that an image of a white object recorded on a recording medium is reproduced as a white image regardless of the color temperature of the light radiated onto the object in the photographing operation. For example, when the color temperature of the radiated light is high, a coefficient by which a differential color signal Cb, including a blue (B) signal, is multiplied is set to a smaller value than a coefficient by which a differential color signal Cr, including a red (R) signal is multiplied, so that a sensitivity to a blue light is reduced so as to prevent the white object from being reproduced as a blue-tinged object.
In such a white balance adjustment, however when the color temperature of the ambient daylight is different from that of the light radiated by the electronic flash in a photographing operation in which the electronic flash is used the photographed image may be reproduced in an unnatural color. Namely since the flash of light reaches only a predetermined portion of an object located at a distance, a photographed image portion corresponding to a short distance has the color temperature of the flash of light, and a photographed image portion corresponding to a long distance has the color temperature of the ambient daylight. Therefore, if the white balance adjustment is performed based on the color temperature of the flash of light, the photographed image portion corresponding to the short distance is reproduced in the proper colors, however the photographed image portion corresponding to the long distance may not be reproduced in the proper color. Similarly, if the white balance adjustment is performed based on the color temperature of the ambient daylight, the photographed image portion corresponding to the long distance is reproduced in the proper color, however the photographed image portion corresponding to the short distance may not be reproduced in the proper color.